NHTSA Complaint #10561274 — 2009 BMW Z4

ALUMINUM WHEEL (STYLE 296) CRACK ON THE INSIDE BEAD. CAR HAS 22,000 MILES ON 1/23/14 AND 3 WHEELS CURRENTLY HAVE CRACKS. THE CRACKS PREVENT THE TIRES FROM MAINTAINING AIR PRESSURE AND LOWERS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE RIM, CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. BMW IS ONLY OFFERING TO REPAIR ONE WHEEL UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE RUNOUT ON THE OTHER 2 WHEELS WAS 0.059" WHICH THEY ARE CLAIMING INDICATES THAT THE WHEELS ARE DAMAGED DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD BUT OFFERED NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE. ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES THERE IS A HIGH RATE OF FAILURE OF THE 296 STYLE WHEEL AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE DESIGN OF THE 19" WHEEL, THE USE OF 30 SERIES (REAR) OR 35 SERIES (FRONT) RUN-FLAT-TIRES AND THE NEGATIVE CAMBER. THE NEGATIVE CAMBER PUTS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORCES AND LOAD FROM THE ROAD ONTO THE INSIDE BEAD OF THE RIM. THE RUN-FLAT-TIRES HAVE EXTREMELY STIFF AND SHORT SIDEWALLS TO ALLOW THE TIRES TO BE DRIVEN WITH NO AIR, WHICH TRANSMITS THE FORCES FROM THE ROAD DIRECTLY TO THE RIM WITHOUT THE NORMAL CUSHION OF A STANDARD TIRE. THE DESIGN OF THE RIM DOES NOT ADD ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO THE INSIDE BEAD TO MAKE UP FOR THE ADDITIONAL LOADS CAUSED BY THE CAMBER AND RUN-FLAT-TIRES. *TR